Tanzania

Firm overview

Our IP practice offers services relating to all aspects of intellectual property including trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, media and entertainment, anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, IP litigation, IP and due diligence and commercial intellectual property (e.g licensing, franchising and distributorship). We offer ancillary services including assisting client with regulatory registration with the national agencies. Our IP practitioners also offer advisory services to the United Republic of Tanzania.

Firm overview

United Trademark & Patent Services (UTMPS) has been a trusted partner to innovators, global brands, and law firms since 1949. With over 75 years of experience in intellectual property law, we’ve built a reputation for legal excellence, regional insight, and a client-first mindset. We are proud to supports some of the world’s most recognized names - including over 100 Fortune 500 companies - with business-aligned, regionally-tailored IP strategies across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.    

United in Law, Inspired by IP
At UTMPS, we see IP as a powerful strategic asset that drives business growth. Our lawyers, patent attorneys, and technical experts work closely with clients to protect what they’ve built and unlock what’s next. Whether securing patents, enforcing rights, or managing complex portfolios across borders, we deliver advice that is practical, proactive, and shaped by decades of regional experience.

Global Reach, Local Expertise
Our firm operates as one integrated team, with offices in 16 countries and coverage across more than 30 jurisdictions. From the UAE and Saudi Arabia to Pakistan and Nigeria, we provide seamless IP support in some of the world’s most dynamic and challenging markets. Clients rely on us to navigate diverse legal landscapes, understand local nuances, and deliver results with precision and speed.

Thanks to this regional depth, we are often the go-to firm for multinationals entering new markets or facing enforcement challenges in unfamiliar jurisdictions. With centralized coordination from our Dubai office and on-the-ground teams across the region, we make cross-border protection straightforward and effective.

End-to-End IP Services
We offer a full spectrum of IP services tailored to every stage of the innovation lifecycle. From early-stage clearance and filing to strategic portfolio management and dispute resolution, our work spans patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights. Clients range from emerging startups to established global leaders, and we scale our services to match their needs.

Our capabilities include:
1. Patent, design, trademark, and copyright filing and prosecution
2. Patent landscaping and freedom-to-operate analysis
3. Arabic translation of patent specifications (for GCC/national filings)
4. IP portfolio strategy and audits
5. Licensing, franchising, and technology transfer agreements
6. Risk assessment and due diligence for M&A and brand launches

A Legacy of Trust, A Focus on the Future
At UTMPS, we serve as long-term partners and advisors who understand your goals and work alongside you to achieve them. Our legacy reflects decades of leadership in IP law. Our future is focused on helping clients thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive global environment.

We’re proud of the company we keep, the markets we serve, and the value we deliver. Wherever your business takes you, we’re ready to help you protect what matters most: your IP.

Firm overview

Firm Overview

Founded in 2018, Extent Corporate Advisory (ECA) is a leading intellectual property and corporate law firm headquartered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For more than eight years, the firm has served as trusted counsel to local and international clients across Tanzania Mainland, Zanzibar, and the wider East African region, with filings extending through the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO). ECA's distinctive one-point-of contact model places each client's entire IP portfolio under the management of a dedicated partner, delivering consistency, responsiveness, and efficiency across both contentious and non-contentious matters.

The firm's full-service IP practice encompasses trademark, patent, design, and copyright prosecution and renewals; oppositions, cancellations, and appeals; enforcement and litigation; anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, including online takedowns, market investigations, and customs seizures; and IP commercialisation, licensing, structuring, and valuation. ECA acts for clients across the technology, fintech, pharmaceutical, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, manufacturing, fashion, hospitality, and consumer goods sectors.

Recent Work Highlights

In the landmark Flamingo trademark dispute, ECA successfully defended Abri General Traders Limited before the Fair Competition Commission (Claim No. 2 of 2026), securing a ruling that locally registered trademark rights prevail over foreign brand claims and that pending BRELA proceedings do not bar enforcement. The firm secured a pivotal trademark infringement victory for Havells India Limited before the High Court of Tanzania (Commercial Division) and led the seizure of counterfeit Bio-Oil products on behalf of Geneva Laboratories in coordination with regulatory authorities. ECA has registered and protected flagship brands for TUI AG and Vodafone Group Plc across Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, manages trademark portfolios and infringement matters for Apple Inc., Mixuebingcheng Co. Limited, SKSHU Paint Co., Ltd, and Guangzhou Sunda International Trading Co. Ltd, and has secured multiple patent grant applications for Tilemaster Investment Limited.

Recognition

ECA's work has earned consistent recognition from the world's leading legal directories and professional bodies. The firm is ranked by Chambers Global 2026 for General Business Law in Tanzania, where researchers describe it as standing out particularly for its intellectual property practice, with a responsive team praised for strong business acumen. The firm's Partner and Head of IP, Nabiry Jumanne, is named a Recommended Lawyer in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 for Tanzania (2026), reflecting the strength of ECA's integrated trademark practice spanning litigation, enforcement, portfolio management, commercialisation, and advisory work. The firm is further recognised in Managing IP's IP STARS (2025), is a recipient of the INTA Tomorrow's Leader Award, and was honoured at The Lawyers Global Legal Awards (2023).